Thill-coupling.



No. 70!,367. Patefited lune 3, m2.

H. MILES & c. H. BLANCHABD.

THILL COUPLING.

(Application flied Dec. 12, 1901.)

' (No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

HORINE MILES, OF OLD ORCHARD, AND CHARLES H. BLANCI-IARD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 701,367, dated June 3, 1902.

Application filed December 12, 1901. Serial No. 851615. (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that we, HORINE MILES, of Old Orchard, county of St. Louis, and CHARLES H. BLANOHARD, of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to thin-couplings; and it consists in the novel arrangement, construction, and combination of parts, as will be more f ullyhereinafter described and claimed.

The object of this invention is to provide a I 5 thill-couplinghavinga clamp composed of two members held together over a bushing of leather or like material to prevent rattling and provided with a means for clamping the said members thereover.

A further object of the invention is to prevent the upper portion of the clamp attached to the shaft from becoming detached from the vehicle while the vehicle is harnessed to the horse should the lower portion of the clamp become loose.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of our complete device attached to the vehicle-axle, showing the same in its relative position to the horse.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectionalview showing its construction. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the clamps with parts broken away.

1 indicates a casting which is to be secured to the axle of the vehicle in the usual manner by means of the clip 2. The said casting is broad and flat at its forward end, and an opening 3 is formed in the said fiat portion, which forms a cross-piece 4 at the extreme 4o forward end of the casting and which is adapted to receive the clamp that is connected to the shaft.

5 indicates the upper portion of the clamp, which is provided on its rearend with a hook 6 and on its forward end with a fiat portion 7, in which are formed openings, whereby it may be secured to the shaft by means of screws or bolts. The hook 6 is intended to engage over a bushing S, of leather or any suitable material, which is placed around the part 4. 9 indicates the under portion of the clamp, having its outer end beveled and fitted in a recess formed in the upper member. The said clamp is held in a recess against the upper member by means of a bolt 10 and thumbnut 11. The threaded end of the bolt 10 is flattened to prevent the nut 11 from being entirely removed therefrom, and the upper portion of the bolt beneath the head is squared to prevent said bolt from turning when the pressure of the nutis applied. The meeting ends of the members forming the clamp are provided with projections 12 and recesses 13, which when brought in contact will interlock. The function of this and the recess in the upper member is to prevent the lower member 9 from lateral movement while the same is in a locked position. The member 9 is also provided with a rounded edge 14. Its function is to allow the said member to be applied and removed in and out'of position when sufficiently released from its locked position by the releasing of the nut 11.

When the clamp is applied to the casting 1, it is necessary to lower the shaft to which it is attached, bringing the clamp in a horizontal plane with the casting, so that the meeting edges of the members are immediately within the opening 3, the lower member being turned at right angles to the upper member. The hook of the upper member is her is turned to meet in conformity with the lugs and recesses. Then the thumb-nut is tightened, and-the device is in readiness for operation. The device being in this position, should the nut become loose and the lower member out of place the upper member cannot be removed through the opening 3 while the shaft is in position relative to the horse. This feature is accomplished by reason of the meeting edge of the members being arranged out of center from the recess.

A thill-coupling, consisting ofa clamp composed of two members, a recess formed in the under side of the upper member, thelower member adapted to fit within saidrecess, the

placed over the bushing, and the lower meminner upper corner of the lower member In testimony whereof we atfix our signarounded for the purpese of allowing the said cures in presence of two witnesses. member to be placed 1n locking posltion over HORINE MILES.

a, bushing, and means for preventing the upper member from becoming detached from CHARLES BLANCHARD' the vehicle when in an upwardly-inclined po- \Vitnesses: sition should the lower member become loose, ALFRED A. EIOKS, substantially as specified. EDWARD E. LONGAN. 

